research response - week 9

Considering my design on a slightly broader scale than at a micro level, it is prevalent that the design will sit amongst a natural surrounding.  The design will respond, by recognising this important relationship to the landscape and endeavour to complement this relationship.  The design's response will create a humble relationship, between landscape, architecture and site. 

As the Queensland Folk Federation association continue to rejuvenate the site with native vegetation, it is important to realise the effect of this plan.  Forests throughout the world cover 30% of the earth’s land area and carry a rich diversity of 67% of the earth’s animals and plant species.  Continuing to support forests, enables us to continually provide a natural habitat for a biodiversity of life.

http://thefrogblog.org.uk/2012/04/03/how-we-are-protecting-wildlife/

tutorial response - week 9

lecture response - week 9

We create SPACES & in turn users create PLACES

Considering our design from a micro level, re-awakens me as to why we as architects exist.  Why we strive to create meaningful places.  

It seems too often these days, you see a design and think the designer's ego has got the better of themselves.  Maybe the designer wanted the building to be recognized space, maybe they wanted to have a more appeasing design to the surrounding buildings.  Design is not about competing against other building.  Designing spaces is about placing emphasis on creating spaces for humans, trees, animals, insects and so on to exist with one another.  We need designs that encourage biodiversity.  We as humans don't stand alone in this cycle of life systems, we are inter-connected through every living and non-living organism.

Designing from a micro level is about creating a platform, creating spaces that encourages activities to take place.  We should not dictate which activities go where.  More provide the means for users to create their own meanings.  

From the lecture it seemed that left over spaces, which were not intended by the designer to be habitable spaces, became habitable places.  It seems the poorer (with regards to the monetary system) the user is, the more they can achieve with fewer instruments and be content.  Is it that they know no better, or they simply do not need more to survive and enjoy an exchange with another person.  The simple offering - of exchanging a social activity.  

We as designers need to create ENGAGING SPACE, not only engaging within the realms of a community, a social system, a cultural system, a economical and natural system, but also the basic level - for people, people to be people.

site selection & analysis - week 8

IN THE RED CORNER – Ceremony Hil

+ existing open land

+ visible from road entrance/major entry path

+ Views accessible to East

- minimal shade

/ potential for further development

+ space to build prototypes – close proximity

+ landscape from scratch, where needed

+ beacon to larger local context

- possible storm threats

+ high and dry from flood path

+ bushfire threat – minimal threat

- clearing of troposurf

IN THE BLUE CORNER – Amphitheatre & existing slope

+ engaged with existing amphitheater

+ shaded from existing trees

+ views accessible

- noise impact when festival is on

+ adapt when festival is on

- trees may need re-locating

- high and dry from flood path

+ complement Amphitheatre

+++++ utilization of existing natural infrastructure

+views of the people

+ views of nature

+ portion of design may have a higher bushfire threat

reading response - week 8

"Landscape discourse is about exploiting the beauty of landscape to elicit an emotional response to sustainability, the conservatory is imagined as a public “plant cathedral”.  Reverent to nature, it serves a didactic role, while providing respite from the noise and temp of the market."

(Elizabeth Meyer)

tutorial response - week 8

A 'brief' Brief

'A place where all processes and systems would pass through and be connected by the landscape itself.'

Pierre House by Tom Kundig

Is this a balance between humanity and nature?  Did the design respond to the site?  Or did the site respond to the the design? 

The design was inspired by the site, however the site was altered (dynamite through the igneous rock) by the design.  The two now lay in harmony from my point of view.  However, was more sacrificed than needed to achieve such beauty?  

lecture response - week 8

GREENING INDEED ISN'T NECESSARILY SUSTAINABLE

It seems today that greening and sustainable are thrown around willy-nilly.  A marketing pun that seems to sell.  It seems that ‘organic’ & ‘sustainable’ are the hip, hop, happening words to be related to when targeting the green market.  There are many more words on hand also, but what is actually green?

For me greening would only be sustainable in the right context and if it was created for the right system.  And indeed it is only one system.  So to slap a green roof or wall on your design seems only superfluous unless it will practically work.  Would this green wall thrive in its environment?  Would it be maintained?  What initial cost would it be for its total life span?  Is it the best option?

To be sustainable, there needs to be more systems working together to create a sustainable design response I believe.

Yasu pointed out in the lecture that the pyramids were only designed to have a linear life cycle, as they can not be adapted to suit any other design intention.  Indeed this is correct is a physical sense.  But for me the beauty of the pyramids, life the other seven wonders of the world and evolved and adapted in a cultural and social forum. 

I can’t imagine - if ‘old mate’ asked Pharaoh, while fanning him with a palm leaf said; “One day tourist from all over the world, will trample all over your grave and pay who is ever in charge a fee to do so.”  This is the beauty of the human mind.  How cultures and meanings have adapted to the modern world, embraced change to accommodate survival. 

The pyramids are now seen as a global icon, seen from space and debated on how they were even constructed in that time in history.  Humans have created enormous museums to house historical artifacts taken from such incredible designs.  The pyramids and what they stand for, has adapted throughout humanity and continues to in today’s time. What an inconceivable journey.

reading response - week 7

‘Therefore, we need studies that are inter-scalar, that observe the voids and consider them as important as the built structure. In addition, it is important to understand how, within those voids, connecting lines such as infrastructure networks, or even virtual ones, revitalise the character of those voids.’ 

(Pinzon Cortez, 2006)

tutorial response - week 7

BRIEF – A PLACE FOR BEING, NOT DOING

Located within the Moreton Bay Shire, Woodfordia is situated west of the coast in the state of Queensland, Australia.  As Woodfordia plans for future developments within a hectic and volatile global crisis, Woodfordia plans to create an alternative self-sustainable community for citizens determined to self-actuate themselves.

The backbone of Woodfordia has been the continuation of utilizing their site to hold infrequent Festivals each year.  Woodfordia, envisions a future where their site can be further developed to encourage a community to flourish and respect their 500 year plan.  Keeping inline with this 500 year plan, it is proposed that Woodfordia will integrate their Festival life with a new community life.  A community that is driven by a vision; ‘to work with the land and not on it.’  Woodfordia will nurture a developing self-sustainable community and also offer a transitional place where people are welcome to visit and stay to acquire and gain the skills to promote Woodfordia’s vision throughout the world. 

Woodfordia will become an incubator, a nucleus, and a place of integration. The Think Farm will give rise to a model where cooperation between public agencies, private companies, individuals, institutions and communities, sharing a common environmental ambition and sharing spaces.  The Think Farm will create spaces where technologies and nature merge to create an integrated space between our original and evolving environments.  The THINK FARM will become an instrument to offer an open forum where physical and digital interaction can take place to harness the power of many to offer solutions to pressing issues we face today and in tomorrows future.  Woodfordia will become a petri dish to explore, develop and offer possible solutions for a sustainable local and global world.